New Delhi: For a long time, the Lifebuoy soap has been one of the most successful and profit-raking cosmetic goods in India. In fact, it is said to fight germs and bacteria on our hands and skin, as claimed by the company. It had been so popular with the masses that it seemed like it would not face any competition, had been unofficially at the number one position, and was considered irreplaceable. But then, things change, and that is the rule. One such change has been reported from the FMCG sector.
Who has replaced Lifebuoy as number one soap?
Hindustan Unilever’s Lifebuoy soap has been dethroned by Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting’s (WCCL’s) flagship soap brand, Santoor. This claim has been made by WCCL who say that the Santoor soap has now become India’s largest soap brand, surpassing Hindustan Unilever’s Lifebuoy. They have claimed that a revenue of RS 2,850 crore was generated by Santoor in 2025, and overtaking Lifebuoy in the process. The good old Lux is in third place. However, companies are not required to disclose the individual revenue of their brands, making it difficult to verify these figures.
What does Wipro say?
Wipro Consumer Care says it has gathered information from multiple sources and is confident in its lead. WCCL CEO Vineet Agrawal said, “There is a significant gap between us and Lifebuoy.” According to AC Nielsen data from January to November, Santoor had a market share of 8.7%, while Lifebuoy had 12.1% and Lux had 12.2%, says a TOI report.
Conflicting statements and claims
However, Agrawal questioned these figures. He said, “Santoor is very strong in rural areas, while the AC Nielsen panel does not adequately represent rural markets. Santoor’s sales are higher in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. It appears that the AC Nielsen panel does not give sufficient weightage to these states.”
On the other hand, a spokesperson for Hindustan Unilever said, “We look at various data sources to assess the competitive performance of our brands. These include published results of companies and data from Nielsen and Kantar. We do not share market share data for individual brands. Currently, we are in a closed period.”
